Go Hawks
New member
The next morning we decide to go glass the same hillside to see what’s going on. We spot a group of deer with 5 bucks in the group slowly working their way up the mountain. One is a nice sized 3 point but not nearly as nice as Andre’s buck. One of the bucks is a large bodied 2 point, he has a very large forked antler on one side and a much smaller forked horn on the other. He must have had a reputation as a jabber because all the other bucks and does were very careful to stay out of his way. He walked stiff legged. Nothing here worth going after. After not seeing much the rest of the day Wednesday we decide to try the high country. We go for a 5 mile hike almost all the way to the top of Lookout Mountain. There is a couple of inches of very crunchy frozen snow on the ground with very little track in the snow. In fact the higher we go the fewer tracks we find. No wolf tracks either. There no longer seems to be a wolf problem because of lack of food.
Andre has to come home Thursday night so if I don’t find a nice buck on Thursday I either have to take a mediocre buck or come back for the last day and half by myself. Wednesday night Bill, a local rancher who graciously offered his heated shop for us to camp in, tells us he has heard rumours of a 30 inch mule deer and tells were we should go to try and find it. Thursday morning we stop to glass the mountain at first light. We spot the big bodied stiffed legged old buck again. No way he can fend off the wolves. We watch were he beds, maybe I will come back for him latter in the day. Probably taste like an old boot though. Lets go look for that 30 incher. We drive to the spot, a steep V notched canyon we walk one side and glass the other. We only spot some does, darn. We decide to travel back to the southern end of the unit where we hunted the first day. We spot a couple white tail does and as we glass them out steps a heavy bodied White tail buck. He doesn’t have a huge rack but he’s a nice buck. I think I will try for him. It is pretty wide open between me and him so I sneak in as close as I can and set up for a shot. It looks like an easy shot, about 150 yards he is quartering away uphill and looking to his left, he is dead still. I set up a limb, steady and shoot. Through the smoke I am sure that I notice a flinch before he walks forward and stands broadside frozen still now. Andre, did you see that flinch? I’m sure I hit him. Andre is not sure if he saw a flinch. Range him for me Andre, I already did, 178 yards. Are you sure? He doesn’t look that far. Let me check. Dad, I have checked 3 times. OK. The buck turns back to his right and takes about 5 steps and lies down. That’s odd. Andre I think he’s hit, lets pull back and head back to the truck. I had forgotten my extra quick loads and only had 2 on me. This way if he’s hit he should be dead when we get back. About 45 minutes latter we ease into the spot where I had take the shot. We start to glass. Nothing. No does, no buck. Lets walk over there and see if he left a blood trail. Wait a second dad, I think I see him. Yep I do, he’s rolled over dead!
Andre has to come home Thursday night so if I don’t find a nice buck on Thursday I either have to take a mediocre buck or come back for the last day and half by myself. Wednesday night Bill, a local rancher who graciously offered his heated shop for us to camp in, tells us he has heard rumours of a 30 inch mule deer and tells were we should go to try and find it. Thursday morning we stop to glass the mountain at first light. We spot the big bodied stiffed legged old buck again. No way he can fend off the wolves. We watch were he beds, maybe I will come back for him latter in the day. Probably taste like an old boot though. Lets go look for that 30 incher. We drive to the spot, a steep V notched canyon we walk one side and glass the other. We only spot some does, darn. We decide to travel back to the southern end of the unit where we hunted the first day. We spot a couple white tail does and as we glass them out steps a heavy bodied White tail buck. He doesn’t have a huge rack but he’s a nice buck. I think I will try for him. It is pretty wide open between me and him so I sneak in as close as I can and set up for a shot. It looks like an easy shot, about 150 yards he is quartering away uphill and looking to his left, he is dead still. I set up a limb, steady and shoot. Through the smoke I am sure that I notice a flinch before he walks forward and stands broadside frozen still now. Andre, did you see that flinch? I’m sure I hit him. Andre is not sure if he saw a flinch. Range him for me Andre, I already did, 178 yards. Are you sure? He doesn’t look that far. Let me check. Dad, I have checked 3 times. OK. The buck turns back to his right and takes about 5 steps and lies down. That’s odd. Andre I think he’s hit, lets pull back and head back to the truck. I had forgotten my extra quick loads and only had 2 on me. This way if he’s hit he should be dead when we get back. About 45 minutes latter we ease into the spot where I had take the shot. We start to glass. Nothing. No does, no buck. Lets walk over there and see if he left a blood trail. Wait a second dad, I think I see him. Yep I do, he’s rolled over dead!
